The Pub Diaries

It’s starting to feel a lot like Christmas. Tree is up, fires are lit and I awake with that fuzzy feeling that I indulged a little too much the night before. Sound familiar? These mornings require more than a hit of caffeine. Restorative hair of the dog is required; a bit of kill or cure with a stiff Bloody Mary perhaps. Tricking yourself that the presence of tomato and a celery stick can excuse a generous slug of vodka. The self deception works for me, getting around the feeling that it’s too early with the knowledge that it’s drinking time somewhere in the world. Even at 8am.

If vodka with your toast isn’t going to fly then there’s always the Michelada, essentially a beer Bloody Mary. Purists may be whincing at the thought of mixing a beer cocktail but trust me that when done well the Michelada will keep you coming back at any time of the day.

My method is from Ozo Bakery and Bar on the edge of New York’s Chinatown. It’s not any old Michelada, but one that packs a good deal of Kimchi. The bars not so secret ingredient.

It was back in August that Lou and I stopped into Ozo for happy hour. I immediately went with the Lagunitas IPA while Lou deliberated over cocktails. The barman advised that the Michelada was a favourite and as I sceptically sipped my IPA I became more and more intrigued as the theatre of the cocktails construction unfolded. Seeing our interest he talked us through the process. Our own cocktail masterclass for the price of a 2 for 1 round. So here’s what you need.

The Mix:

Tomato juice mix with added Kimchi is preferential. To my knowledge this would have to be your own mix. At Ozo they make it themselves. Alternatively a clam juice mix like Clamato can be pre bought, but won’t quite match the Kimchi punch.

Worcestershire Sauce, 4 shakes.

Lime

Mexican hot sauce. Our chosen sauce is Cholula but experimentation is the key to finding your Michelada.

The Beer:

Mexican light beer. Ozo used Pacifico, but there’s nothing to stop you experimenting with other brands or even styles to add body.

To Serve:

A tall glass, over ice, with crushed sea salt and pepper coating the rim.

So there you have it, a Mexican beer cocktail with a Korean twist, added Worcestershire kick via New York. Truly a world class hangover cure. I’ve not had one this Christmas, but when I do the picture will be attached here. What’s your favoured hair of the dog?